A buyer who needs a purchase approved, or a transfer from their bank, asks for a priced document before paying. Issuing a tax invoice for that is a mistake: it reports a sale that has not happened, and if the deal falls through you need a credit note to undo it. A pro forma invoice solves this. It looks like an invoice but it is an offer, so nothing is reported to ZATCA until the sale actually happens.
The case
An IT supplier in Riyadh agrees to sell 40 laptops at SAR 3,200 each to a private school. The school's finance office needs a pro forma invoice to approve the payment.
| SAR | |
|---|---|
| 40 laptops × 3,200 | 128,000 |
| VAT 15% | 19,200 |
| Total on the pro forma | 147,200 |
In alFatora, step by step
- In Sales, press New pro forma, choose the school and add the line. The pro forma takes its own number (PRO-…), separate from your invoice numbers.
- Print it, or download it as a PDF for the buyer. It carries your logo and layout, and its title makes clear it is not a tax invoice.
- Mark it as sent, so your team can see which offers are waiting for an answer.
- When the school pays, press Turn into an invoice. The customer, lines and prices are copied across. Check them and press Issue.
- The tax invoice is reported to ZATCA and keeps a link to the pro forma it came from.
What you gain
- No cancelled invoices or credit notes for deals that never happen.
- Nothing typed twice: the invoice is built from the pro forma.
- One place to see every pro forma that is sent, accepted or still waiting.
Before you start
Switch on pro forma invoices once, in Sales settings, the last entry of the Sell menu.
Frequently asked questions
Is a pro forma invoice reported to ZATCA?
No. A pro forma is an offer, not a tax invoice. Only the tax invoice you issue from it when the sale happens is reported.
Do I retype the lines when I turn it into an invoice?
No. The customer, lines and prices are copied across, and you check them before issuing.
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